The Kitten
by Lily Kalanoa
Summary: Konoha is hosting the Chunin exams for the first time since Naruto first tested. Lee is asked to watch over the ninja from Sand and sees firsthand the blackness in others' hearts, even his own. But such a thing can be erased by the most unlikely place.


**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: The Kitten

**Genre**: Naruto – romance / drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Bullying and prejudice. Underage drinking (does that count?) and some fairly heavy swearing. Also Rock Lee and Gai, those two are a warning all by themselves, especially to the non-perky.

**Pairings**: Gaara / Rock Lee

**Spoilers**: Some minor spoilers for Gaara (honestly I think everyone knows them anyway) and also of the end of the Chunin exams

**Author** **Notes**: Well, I entered this into Yaoi con's fanfiction contest. I was very happy with Ycon in general, but the contest was a complete and utter disappointment. Apparently the only people that were told of their final scores were the winners (which I can't access without being a member of Ycon's site? Or I just can't figure out the site, very possible) There may have been something at the official ceremonies, but that does me a whole hell of a lot of good since I missed those. In any case, because of this, I have no idea what my score was, what my criticisms were, what I did well on, anything. So in this specific aspect I'm very pissed at them. Here you all go, a fic I actually think came out really well. I wish I could know what was liked or hated by the various judges, will you all tell me? Enjoy either way.

-o-o-o-o-o-

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Can you believe they trust him to run a whole village?"

"It's like trusting a demon to take care of a baby kitten."

"And he's so young! Surely he isn't mature enough for the job?"

"Not to mention sane enough."

Rock Lee looked up from his drink – apple cider, he wasn't letting alcohol anywhere near his mouth at this party – and stared at the cluster of civilians talking in hushed whispers at another table. It was winter in Konoha with the next biannual chunin exam just around the corner. Because of the festive time of year, dignitaries and participants from the other villages had been arriving all week. Shops, restaurants and even the academy were decorated and polished, offering their best face to the visitors. This was the first time Konoha had hosted the exam since the Third Hokage had been killed. Memories of that day were fresh in the minds of ninja and civilian alike and the tension was as pervasive as the festive atmosphere.

There were three teams from the village of Suna and they had arrived with others from the village earlier that day; the hostility toward the sand ninja was barely masked by the Village of the Hidden Leaf. Never mind that the two villages had been allies for years, everyone looked at the well-known hitai-ate and remembered Suna's past betrayal. This party was for everyone, supposedly welcoming all chunin hopefuls for some good food and fun, but it was obvious the invitation to the sand nin had been formality only. Just five of the nearly twenty present had attended; Temari and Kankuro, one of the team leaders, an assistant and the Kazekage himself. The last was whom the civilians were talking about.

Gaara of the Desert was in his official robes, small cup of eggnog grasped untouched in his hand. His assistant was at his side, bowing and whispering in the young man's ear, providing names and other relevant information Gaara would not have had time to memorize himself. Talking with the Kazekage was Tsunade, Shizune muttering into her ear not quite as unobtrusively as the Suna assistant. Beside the two village heads, Temari was rapidly getting drunk with several flushed genin from various villages and Kankuro had been arguing quietly with Shikamaru and Neji – all three several drinks into the evening. Both siblings had grown quiet, however, glaring openly at the oblivious gossips.

Lee stood and made his way toward the table the ladies were at, noticing instantly as Temari and Kankuro shifted their gazes to watch him. There was no change at all in Gaara's posture, but he was certain the Kazekage was watching him as well. Leaning in towards the ladies, Lee opted first for the discreet approach. "I'm sorry to interrupt," though he really wasn't, "but you shouldn't say such things. You must realize that you're saying such things while surrounded by ninja that can hear you quite clearly."

"Good!" cried one of the women, raising her voice considerably. "Let 'im hear! Not like that freak's gonna do anything about it."

The party was being held in a local bar, only about half the seats taken up by invited shinobi, the rest still open to regular patrons. The entire building went deathly quiet at the woman's proclamation.

"Hear hear," another of the ladies cried, raising her glass into the air. "Next ya know they'll put a demon in charge of _our_ village."

"Now see here, you-!" Temari surged to her feet, no longer keeping quiet at these insults.

Kankuro stood just as quickly, hands on his sister's shoulders to keep her calm. "We can't afford a fight in hear, Temari."

Lee continued glaring at the ladies in front of him. "That's completely unfair!" He announced, shouting since subtlety had had no affect. "The shining light of youth is a blessing! The Kazekage's age, if anything, makes him a beacon, a symbol of what can be accomplished if your desire is pure and just! Besides that, Gaara's faced and conquered more challenges then men twice his age!"

"He's a freak, and a monster, and if I had the misfortune to live in Suna, I'd walk the desert barefoot just to get away from the place!"

"That's enough!" a female voice roared, once again bringing silence to the whole of the bar. Tsunade stomped towards the women, covering the distance in only a few long strides. "Get out of here this instant!"

The ladies cowed, whimpering in the face of their angry Hokage. "Tsunade-sama, we-"

"I said out!"

"Hokage-sama-"

The irate blonde slammed one fist onto the table, splintering it. "NOW!" Terrified, the women ran for the door, tripping over each other in their eagerness to Get Away Now. Lee stood transfixed for a minute, impressed again at the strength and youthfulness of his Hokage. The woman took several deep breaths before turning to him, one hand descending on his slim shoulder. "Thank you for trying to deal with that, Lee-san. Please enjoy the rest of the party."

Lee nodded stiffly and she released him, returning to her table. Gaara hadn't even twitched; he still stood looking at Shizune, his back to the disturbance, patiently waiting the Hokage's return.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Most of Konoha knew that Lee didn't drink and knew the consequences when he _did_ imbibe alcohol. It was because of this knowledge that he had become the designated sober in the village. There was never any driving to worry about, but drunken shinobi could be just as dangerous simply walking. When the party finally began to break up, Lee obediently put his cider aside and went to stand by the door to help those who needed it. He considered it an honor and was proud to be of help, prouder still to know that Konoha trusted him enough to completely let down their guard while he was around. He'd even helped home his beloved sensei on more than one occasion.

Neji and Shikamaru stumbled out the door first, but the Hyuuga boy was still sober enough to help the younger chunin home, so Lee let them pass. A group of testing genin slipped by; they were too young to drink, though that hadn't stopped them, but they were among the most sober in the room. Several Jounin stumbled towards Lee and he smiled, catching Asuma as he tripped over his own feet. Without even being asked, he began to lead them back to their respective apartments, making sure none of the inebriated ninja took to the rooftops.

As he delivered his last charge – Kurenai – safely to her home, the woman caught his shoulders. She leaned forward, planting a messy kiss on the young chunin's forehead. "You're a good guy, y'know that?"

Lee carefully disentangled from the woman's arms, leaning so that she would fall back onto her couch. "Thank you, Kurenai-san. You make sure to get some rest, all right?" She nodded lazily and Lee made his way outside and back towards the bar.

He arrived back at the doors just as a very frazzled looking Shizune was leaving, a flushed Hokage attached to her shoulder. "Ah, Lee, thank goodness you're back. Could you make sure the sand nin get back to their rooms all right?"

Lee beamed and slipped back into the brightly lit building. It had cleared almost completely, only a few shinobi and civilians still nursing drinks in the corners. Lee made his way back to the table the Hokage had been seated at and smiled at the foreign ninja still there. Somewhat surprised, his smile faded and he looked around curiously. "Has Gaara-sama already left?"

Temari gave an overexagerated shrug and tipped to the side, resting against Kankuro's shoulder. The puppeteer sighed. "Left. He'll be fine. Show up later."

Lee frowned, but then turned it into a bright smile again. "I came to help you find your way back to your quarters. Can you all walk all right?"

Kankuro nodded and stood, but with Temari's weight still on top of him, he fell back into his chair with a mumbled curse. Lee reached out to help the girl to her feet and Kankuro managed to stand on his second attempt. Shouldering the kunoichi's weight, Lee led the way from the bar, towards the inn the dignitaries were staying at. "I hope you're enjoying your stay here," Lee muttered, just to make small talk.

"Stupid, paranoid bitches," the blonde on Lee's shoulder slurred darkly. "Running their stupid yaps like they know everything. Like he hasn't saved the whole fucking village a dozen times over."

"We're not in Suna, Sis," Kankuro muttered. "Konoha," he added after a pause.

"Oh," Temari muttered as she glanced around before laying her head back on Lee's shoulder. "Saved this fucking village, too."

Lee frowned and opened his mouth. "On behalf of all of Konoha, I'd like to apologize. Those women-"

The jounin sensei hooked his arm around Lee's neck, pulling him and subsequently Temari towards him. "You're not about to start spouting Youth and Manliness, are you? You obviously dress like that cook, do you talk like him, too?"

Lee stumbled with a shinobi on either side of him and twisted to look at the jounin. "You know Gai-sensei?"

"Paired 'im on a mission once. Good man, damn good fighter. But not someone to listen to when yer drunk, so don't go all speech-y on me, kid."

Lee nodded and fell into silence. He had noticed that people seemed to hold less tolerance for his sensei's inspiring speeches when they were drunk. Or really tired. Or Kakashi, but that was just him. "I do apologize, though. They," Lee hesitated, not sure how to describe it since he didn't feel the same way. "They just don't understand is all."

"You wanna know who understands?" Kankuro scowled as they approached the inn. "Gaara understands. His brother and sister and maybe his assistants, we kinda understand. Maybe that Naruto kid, hard to say for sure."

"Whole fucking village is still scared shitless of 'im." Temari slurred again, pushing herself up to enter the building. "Kid doesn't deserve it, after everything he's done, fucking bitches." She continued muttering as she slowly climbed the stairs.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The sky had opened briefly during the night, coating Konoha in a fine layer of white powder the next morning. Gai and his team were already well into their morning routine by the time Lee wandered into the training grounds with TenTen. Since they and Neji had become chunin and Gai had taken another team, none of them saw each other as often as Lee would have liked, but their morning schedules occasionally overlapped like this.

Seeing his former pupil, Gai abandoned his one-armed push-ups and threw his hands skyward. "Lee! How my heart leaps to see you on this glorious day!"

Lee imitated the gesture before dropping into his own 'nice guy' pose. "I haven't seen you in several days, oh honored sensei! So strong and noble, leading the youth of our beloved Konoha into their bright futures!"

Nearby, TenTen groaned and rolled her eyes. "How can you two talk like that so early in the morning?"

"Nonsense! The sun's already been up for an hour!" Lee beamed and TenTen just rolled her eyes again, more than used to this type of thing.

Gai sobered slightly, stepping closer to his former pupil. "I hear you've been asked to help with the chunin exam. A well deserved honor, if you ask me. Especially after what you did last night!"

TenTen looked up at that. "What, at the party? Man, I wasn't back from my mission, what'd I miss?"

"My worthy and honorable student defended the honor of the great Kazekage!"

Lee was still smiling, more than willing to accept the praise. "I couldn't sit by and do nothing while such lies were being told. Tsunade-sama has asked me to help the shinobi from Suna if they needed it and I'll be working alongside the jounin during the exam itself!" He'd been bursting to tell his sensei since he'd first heard the news. It wasn't unusual for chunin to help during exams, but it was considered a great honor.

TenTen nodded, recognizing how important this was to her friend. "You really think they'll need much help? I've heard people talking . . ."

"It's not that bad," Lee was quick to inform her. "Rumors and drunken grumbles are nothing compared to the trust that has been built up by our alliance."

Behind the older ninja, a small voice muttered, "I'm not sure I'd trust a sand nin to guard my back. My dad got hurt the last time they were in the village."

Gai whirled on his students. "How can you say such a thing about our noble allies! What happened in the past is no reflection of Suna itself; if anything the fortitude they have shown since then speaks to their strength! We mustn't forget that they lost their 'Kage at that time and were being misled by the sinister Village of Sound!" The young boy that had spoken stared timidly at the ground, mumbling apologies. After another moment, Gai shifted his attention to the group as a whole. "And who said you could stop your exercises? As punishment we will all run fifty laps around the village!"

Lee and TenTen waved cheery farewells as the jounin took off at a jog, students in tow. Then TenTen turned back to the green-clad boy. "You're really helping with the exam? I'm impressed." She paused, looking over his shoulder, and Lee turned to see what had caught her attention.

Shuffling their feet in the snow, the Suna teams were entering the training field in various states of undress. Curious, Lee excused himself and wandered towards them. "Is there anything you need?" he asked the jounin teachers as he drew near.

There were two men and a woman, all dressed in their full gear. Their students, however, were wearing barely enough material to be decent. One team was looking most unhappy in their underclothes while the other two stood in what appeared to be their pajamas. One girl had her arms wrapped tightly around herself in just an oversized nightshirt. The teachers all shook their heads that they needed nothing and at Lee's continued stare, the man from the night before leaned over to offer an explanation. "These kids grew up in the desert where it only gets this cold at night and they're asleep in bed. We need to acclimate to have equal footing for the exam."

Lee's eyes lit up. "Of course! And environmental training is important for any shinobi!"

The man laughed, clapping Lee on the back. "Yes, it is. If my kids can withstand weather like this without using their chakra then I'll know they really are ready for this test." Suddenly his eyes flickered across the gathering and he broke away to stalk towards some of the teens. "I said without chakra, Tali!"

The female jounin laughed loudly at her companion's antics. "It's easier for us; easier to get used to the cold. You ever been to Suna in the middle of summer, Konoha?" It took Lee a moment to realize that by 'Konoha' she meant him and he mutely shook his head. He'd had missions to Wind Country and other warm climates, but always in the spring or fall, and once in winter when the nights had been bitter. The woman just smiled and shook her head, moving off to help her own team.

Slowly Lee went back to TenTen, who was well into her warm-ups by this point. "I think I'm going to pass on our training today. I know you just got back, but the Hokage did ask me to help out."

The girl nodded, spinning a three-sectioned staff as if it were nothing. "I understand. Go play diplomat, I'll see you later."

Lee thanked her and jogged from the area, an idea forming in his head. He stopped at his home, rummaging through old trunks and boxes before heading for the inn, bag of fabric clutched to his chest.

It took a minute for someone to answer the door when Lee knocked and before the woman was even in view he could hear her grumbling. The door was yanked open and Temari glared at Lee hatefully. "It's too early to be makin' such noise! What do you want?"

Lee beamed as brightly as ever, but took care to keep his voice soft, mindful of the hangover he was certain the woman was suffering from. He held his bag out proudly. "I was speaking with your jounin and thought you might appreciate some extra protection against the cold." Temari took the bag and peered inside before looking back at Lee. "They're some old scarves!" he chirped before reigning his voice back in. "I just thought, since it's winter and all."

Temari nodded and dug an orange scarf out of the bag. She wrapped it around her neck and threw the bag behind her at a lump of thick blankets. The blankets squawked and erupted, revealing a rather startled Kankuro after a moment. The man looked around dazedly before he noticed the scarves and pulled a large pink one up, burying his face in it. "Warm fuzzies!" he cried, quickly sorting out the ends and wrapping it around his neck up to his nose before looking up at Lee. "I fucking _hate_ places that snow. Thanks!"

Lee just beamed brighter, talking to Kankuro as Temari grumpily walked back towards the kitchen area of their suite. "I only had five, but I figured the teams wouldn't need any. If that's not enough, let me know and I'll get some more, all right?"

Kankuro had grabbed a thick green scarf and was burying the rest of his face in that. "Sure thing," he called, voice muffled. "If we need more fuzzies, find Rock Lee. Got it."

-o-o-o-o-o-

"He's really got one of the tails? Like the fox?"

"I heard the tails have to drink baby blood to survive."

"Does that mean he drinks blood?"

Lee ignored the small children as he passed. There were similar rumors about Tsunade and Jiraiya; about most high-ranking shinobi actually. He wouldn't lower himself to berating children barely old enough to be in the academy. What bothered him was that he kept hearing these same rumors from adults. Lee quickened his pace, walking past the children with no more than a glare and continued toward the arena where he'd be helping check security.

Shikamaru was just reaching the gate when Lee came into view and the shadow user paused to wait for him. Lee drew even with the other and opened his mouth to greet him, but a little scream made both turn, kunai drawn. Just across the street, a young girl was clutching her shin and crying. The two chunin rushed over to her, looking for the threat. Shikamaru gently pulled her hands away, looking at the deep scratches there. "Shh, you'll be all right. This is nothing," he cooed.

Lee looked around quickly, trying to find the culprit and deal with him accordingly. There, movement at the corner of the building! He burst into the ally and stopped cold. Trotting along the side of the building was a small cat, only a month or two old. It was scrawny and still awkward on its legs as it darted behind a trash bin and looked back out at Lee. With a sigh, the chunin turned back to Shikamaru. "False alarm, it was a kitten."

"I just wanted to pet it!" the toddler wailed loudly.

In the end, Lee was thankful for the kitten attack, it saved his day from being completely dreary and mind-numbingly dull. If he were a better ninja, Lee thought, he would have found this security detail more interesting. If he could mold chakra, he mused in vain, he could at least do things like walk on the wall to change his perspective. Sadly, though, Lee was trapped doing everything the mundane way and wandering a giant stadium looking for nonexistent traps and surveillance equipment made the young man want to cry. In fact, at the end of the day, while Shikamaru complained about the dreary task himself, manly tears were rolling down Lee's cheeks as he wholeheartedly agreed. But, he supposed, being bored senseless was better than finding something. It may have been boring, but it was good to know there were no surprises this year.

Shikamaru stretched and yawned, staring at the setting sun sadly. "I think I'm just going to call it an early day," he said with a lilt in his voice as if he were asking a question.

Lee shook his head. "No thanks. After today, I'd rather get in a late workout." Shikamaru shrugged and made his way down the street while Lee stretched, running Konoha's layout in his mind. He didn't want to go to the training area, it would be full of shinobi that didn't like training in the mornings. He decided on a circuit across the rooftops while he thought about what he wanted to do.

By the time he passed by the hokage monument a third time, it was truly dark and Lee had sped to a full sprint, testing his eyes as well as his muscles. He was surprised when his sharp eyes caught a glimpse of red. He stumbled to a halt, backtracking the three rooftops to where he'd seen the unruly mop of hair and crept to the edge of the roof. Below him in the ally, Gaara of the Desert was crouched down, one hand extended towards a clump of shadow. Lee shifted to look deeper into the shadow, two sparkling green jewels catching the light and throwing it back at him.

The kitten from earlier that day had its back arched, tail puffed to double its normal size. Gaara reached for it slowly, fingers stretching across the empty space. Suddenly the kitten swiped out, ungainly paw lightning quick. The tiny, needle-sharp claws contacted not with flesh but with a thin trail of the sand barrier. The kitten didn't know the difference and pushed further into the shadows, hissing angrily. Lee's eyes widened, seeing Gaara's lips twitch into a slight frown, and his stomach gave an angry flip. _No!_ Lee's mind screamed, wanting to do something to stop the redhead. _Please don't hurt it, please!_

For a long moment Gaara held his position and Lee held his breath. Then finally the Kazekage stood, slowly making his way from the ally. Lee felt like a cad all of a sudden. He was no better than those batty old ladies. He _knew_ Gaara, he _knew_ the young man wasn't a sadist or a psychopath, at least not anymore. Yet looking at the scene, he was certain that baby cat's life had been over. He was disgusted with the people that spoke so poorly about the teen when they knew nothing about him, but wasn't it much worse to think those things when he knew better?

Furious with himself, Lee glanced down at Gaara again. The young man had crossed the street to a small food stand where the vendor was shaking while serving him. Gaara was not insane, he didn't needlessly hurt. How could Lee have even _thought _he'd do anything other than leave the creature alone? Gaara paused suddenly and turned to look up at Lee. The chunin managed a smile and waved brightly before leaping away for a proper workout, starting with a hundred laps around the village so he could clear his head.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Lee wasn't helping during the written portion on the exam. While two or three of the examiners were chunin, they had to have certain personality traits as well as the skills needed to properly gauge those taking the test. When Lee had been given his assignments, he'd been told he was a little too _enthusiastic_ for that particular duty. They hadn't actually said enthusiastic, they'd said loud and obvious, but Lee knew what they meant. As a result Lee would be watching the students in the forest well into the night, but until then he had no duties at all.

He decided to indulge himself as a reward for helping with the test and wandered the streets looking for a place to have lunch. Deciding on ramen – and not at all surprised to see Naruto already there – Lee spent his morning pleasantly chatting with the other boy and the shop owner. Then with great flourish and importance, Lee announced that he had to be on his way to the testing observatory. He stood with a happy goodbye and spun to the door just in time to catch a glimpse of red hair going down the road, flanked by two Suna assistants.

"I can't believe Suna put him in charge." Lee frowned and turned back to the voice, surprised to see it was Naruto. The blonde was frowning, but he seemed to be happy at the same time. "Just wait, I'll be Hokage before you know it and prove I'm better than that guy."

The boy's youthful determination made Lee smile and he hurried down the road, going the same direction as the Kazekage. After only a few steps, however, his smile dropped, sharp ears picking up a different voice. "That's just what we need, a freak running Konoha."

Lee turned to see a pair of older men glaring first towards the ramen shop and then after Gaara. "It's bad enough that thing is trusted with missions, are they really serious about letting him advance even more in rank?"

"I heard he's scheduled to take the next jounin exam."

Lee scowled darkly. It was true that Naruto still got in trouble more than any other chunin – and most genin – but he'd matured quite a bit in the four years since he'd graduated the academy. Unfortunately, most of the adults in Konoha still saw him as nothing more than the fox-child. Slightly further up the road, Gaara had paused, his head cocked ever so slightly towards the men. His assistants looked flustered, clearly wanting to intervene, but at the same time not wanting to risk it.

The men boldly looked at the Kazekage, aware that they were being watched, despite the fact that he hadn't turned around. Then one of the men snickered. "I've got it, let's send that blonde menace back to Suna with them! They've clearly already given up on their village."

Even from a distance, Lee could see the subtle tension run across Gaara's back. Then abruptly he continued down the path as if nothing had happened. Lee took a moment to debate, but they were going the same direction; he broke into a jog to catch up with the redhead. He had to apologize, on behalf of his village!

Across the street, a group of boys of about nine were chuckling loudly. Another moment and they began catcalling and whistling at the visitors from Sand. Lee's levels of horror multiplied; he simply couldn't comprehend the sheer absurdity of it. One of the boys bent, scooping a rock into his hand and hurling it.

Lee leapt forward, covering the distance fast enough that some may have thought it had been a jutsu. He intercepted the rock before it could hit one of the assistants, though the girl still yelped and raised her clipboard like a shield. A second rock arced through the air, impacting with a dull thud as a thin wall of sand rose to shield its master. Lee glared at the children darkly, but remained focused on Gaara.

Suddenly there was a presence at his back and small hands shoved him forward. The proper response was to shift his center of gravity, dropping to the ground and sweeping the young punk. Lee was fairly certain this would not beat the proper message into his head. He had to force his body not to slip into the trained move and it messed with his balance, sending him tripping forward towards Gaara. He threw his arms up, bracing his palms on the side of the building, hands on either side of Gaara's head.

The redhead showed almost no emotion; there was shock and annoyance, but both were muted, barely visible on the pale face. Lee jerked away, but Gaara had focused on the scene over his shoulder. Then the redhead was moving; one pale hand came up to Lee's shoulder, the other pushing at his hip. Lee had to force himself to relax again, trusting this ally to position him out of danger. The two fell to the ground, Lee spreading the impact across his whole back to not be hurt. Above him he heard several more dull thumps as more stones hit the sand barrier.

Gaara was still focused on the punks and Lee tilted his head to see them upside down. Thin tendrils of sand were racing towards the young boys and Lee gasped at the sight. "Gaara, stop!" he cried, already moving. Weight shifted, muscles and mind working in perfect harmony. Lee grasped the other boy's shoulder and twisted, reversing their positions and straddling his hips.

Gaara's eyes went wide, his mouth open slightly in surprise, and Lee could hear the attacking sand fall to the ground, forgotten. Lee braced for the attack he was sure was coming, but better him than the academy students. He could actually feel the sand shifting under his fingers, but after a moment with no retaliation, Lee started to relax.

The few yards away from the shinobi, the boys were cheering and laughing, catcalling at Lee's position as if their lives hadn't been about to end violently. Lee could feel himself start to flush as the children ran off, and then he heard a scoff behind him from a far too familiar voice. "Something you want to tell us, Gaara?"

Lee spun, scrambling off the prone Kazekage, to face Kankuro and Temari. Behind him Gaara stood much more slowly, calmly dusting off his long black coat. "Says the man in the fuzzy pink scarf."

Kankuro glared. "Hey! This is the warmest one and I'm not giving it up to anyone! Fucking _hate_ the snow."

Temari just shook her head slightly. "We were looking for you to give you the news. Written test is over. One of our teams didn't make it."

Gaara gave a nod. "The other two made it through all right?"

Kankuro grinned – or at least his eyes crinkled like he was smiling behind the scarf. "Through without a hitch. Hey, Lee, since you're here. I was thinking you could get some more scarves, make the kids feel better since they're out of the test."

Lee's entire face was pink and he stuttered incoherently before giving up and just nodding frantically. Then his eyes widened and he managed to find his tongue. "Wait, the written test's over?" Temari nodded, looking confused as Lee looked up and down the street frantically. "I'm late!" he cried, bolting down the mostly empty road. He skidded to a halt and turned back to the sand siblings, still blushing bright red. He looked at Gaara, stuttering again. "I-uh, wha-er . . . I'm very sorry!" He bowed deeply and took off again, sprinting to the observation area.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The observation duty was actually quite boring; Lee was beginning to understand that most of the chunin exam was rather tedious if you weren't actually a part of the test. Still he was overjoyed to be a part of the trusted group of shinobi that watched over these genin. Lee stayed where he was, diligently watching the various video screens, keeping an eye on the proceedings in the forest well into the night. Off to one side of the room, several jounin were playing cards, clustered around a summoning jutsu should any team be foolish enough to open their scrolls. Closer to Lee were mostly chunin, reading or working on something to occupy them – one young man was knitting – while giving half an eye to the bank of screens in front of them. They were more of a secondary defense, the teams were protected by a few jounin and medinin flitting through the forest itself should anything go truly wrong.

An hour or so before Lee's shift was over, the first couple of teams made it to the tower, effectively ending this part of their exam. First was a group from Konoha, looking like they'd spent most of the trip in the mud. Lee shivered in sympathy at the thought; they had to be freezing. Not long after, one of the Suna teams stumbled through the doors, one of the boys immediately casting a fire jutsu that they all crowded around. Lee felt his lips twitch up into a smile.

"He sure looks happy," someone muttered to Lee's left. "You know those kids?"

"Sand nin," a second voice replied in a whisper. "Those blasted desert crawlers always finish this part quickly."

Lee started to frown listening to the men and refocused his gaze to look at their reflections in the monitors. He watched as Kotetsu leaned towards the other two, blocking his mouth as he whispered conspiratorially. "Didn't you hear what happened earlier today?"

One of the men's eyes widened. "Oh yeah, between him and the Kazekage?"

"Wait, what happened?"

"Apparently," Kotetsu hurried to tell the other, "Rock Lee has a thing for Gaara of the Desert! He's been doing all sorts of things for Sand since they got to the village."

Lee felt his face burn. That was his job! He'd been asked to make sure the visiting sand ninja were taken care of! One of the other chunin snickered. "Always thought there was something weird about that kid."

Lee reached up and pinched at the bridge of his nose, trying to force himself not to hear the snickering behind him. He focused on the images of the forest again, sticking out the rest of his shift with a determination few in the village could match. When Neji wandered into the room, yawning and stretching, to begin his own shift of watching the exam, Lee nodded at him and rushed into the cool night air. He still felt like he was blushing, unable to forget what the other chunin had said.

It was the crying that first drew Lee back out of his thoughts. Tiny, mournful meows of a cat who obviously needed help desperately. He focused on the noise, rushing through the thin layer of snow. The soft mews drew him towards the training area and Lee slowed, wary of disturbing a training ninja, though at this hour he'd be surprised to see anyone at all, and he didn't know of anyone in Konoha that used cats the way the Inuzukas used dogs.

There was a small jungle gym that people used to crawl over and under and through, only a few feet off the ground. Lee stopped completely, peering at the scene from the corner of a building. Gaara was sitting on the mass of metal, looking alternately up at the sky and down at the source of the noises. The kitten was just as mangy as Lee remembered, but it was cuter when it wasn't angry and defensive. For the first time, Lee could see that it was startlingly white on its chest and legs, but was otherwise grey, looking like a little cloud of smoke rising out of the snow. It was staring up at Gaara, mewling piteously.

After a moment, Gaara focused on the kitten again. Lee watched in fascination as a trail of sand shifted and flowed, solidifying after a moment into a small ramp. Eagerly the kitten trotted up the little sand walkway and onto Gaara's knee. It gave a much happier mew before bumping its head against the young man's arm. The motion sent it off balance and if not for the redhead's quick hand, it would have fallen back to the ground. The kitten yawned hugely, turned once where it was, and lay down on the boy's leg.

Gaara's face held no emotion as he watched the tiny creature. Then, suddenly, he raised his eyes, looking across the grounds at Lee. "Have you been there long?" he asked conversationally with a nod of greeting.

Lee blushed, suddenly remembering the chunin's words earlier. "Uh, not long. I heard the kitten . . ."

A ghost of a smile crossed the redhead's face and he let his fingers brush along the thing's soft fur. The kitten stirred, pushing into the touch, but didn't wake. "I found her yesterday. You were there." Lee blinked stupidly and started towards the pair as Gaara continued to speak. "After you left I gave her some meat, and I saw her again earlier this evening and gave her more. She's been following me since."

Lee nodded slowly. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I barely sleep. I'm lucky to get an hour a night, even now that Shukaku is somewhat more controlled." He said it as if he were commenting on the weather, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lee hopped up onto the metal bars and spun to sit beside the Kazekage and quickly changed the subject. "What are you going to do with it?" He reached forward, brushing against the kitten's fur himself. He smiled at how soft it was.

"She has no home," Gaara muttered, eyes fixed on the kitten. "No one wants her."

Lee looked up into the other boy's face, but he saw no emotion there. He'd sounded like he related, but when you looked at him, none of it showed. Lee opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out as his eyes fixed to the redhead's neck. He was wearing one of the scarves, a black one, tucked underneath the color of his jacket so it wasn't immediately obvious. Lee struggled for something to say and finally heard his voice squeak out a question. "You cold?"

Gaara looked up, meeting Lee's eyes. After a little pause, he put one hand to his throat, a tiny smile gracing his lips again. "This helps, thank you." Then he looked at the little kitten again. "This one is a descendant of Egyptian gods. Her ancestors came from the desert, she probably wouldn't mind going back."

"You're going to keep her?"

Gaara nodded, ever so slightly. "Kamura. Her name is Sabako Kamura." The kitten stretched, burying her head into the crook of Gaara's leg. "She's already adopted me."

Lee wrinkled his brow. "You mean you've adopted her."

Gaara's smile was a bit more obvious this time. "You've never had a cat before, have you?" The line startled a laugh from Lee and he shook his head. Gaara kept smiling and stroked the tiny cat some more. "Me either, but they're fairly common in Suna. Cats are independent creatures and they'll live just fine on their own. But when they decide to adopt a human, they are fiercely loyal. They don't recognize things like family, they adopt you on merit alone."

Lee was still watching the redhead closely. Was that how Gaara chose his relations? Merit alone? From what the Konoha chunin had seen so far, it must make for a lonely existence. "Gaara, I want to apologize. Those kids today, and at the party the other night-"

"I'm used to it. I only feel badly knowing that Naruto will have to face everything I have. He doesn't really know how bad it can be."

Lee's frown deepened. "You shouldn't have to be used to it. The fact that you are is proof of, of . . . it's an outrage! Those people don't bother to get to know you, they ignore your youthful light! It's sickening to hear-"

"You have more reason to hate me than any of them."

Lee stopped suddenly, gaping at the young man. "What?"

Gaara was still watching the sleeping cat intently. "Your leg and arm. You've felt what I can do. You actually have reason to say things like that."

Lee's mouth was open slightly, horrified. "Like what?" he all but yelped.

"Monster. You know-"

Lee moved lightning quick, body reacting without conscious permission from his brain. His hands were on Gaara's shoulders, turning him to look into his face fiercely. "What are you saying! Gaara, we've been allies for years! We've saved each other's lives!"

Gaara's eyes were wide, the same expression he'd worn that morning. After his outburst faded, Lee was aware of little tendrils of sand surrounding both of them, but they remained frozen in mid air. Lee released his hands, pulling back slowly. "Sorry, I . . . I'm sorry. I need to go, early day tomorrow." He hopped off the jungle gym, fleeing the training grounds quickly.

-o-o-o-o-o-

There was a resounding thud and a cheer from the building behind Lee. He was on patrol for this part of the exam, but was following at least the flow of the preliminary fights. Unless he'd lost count, that would be the end of the last match. He let his eyes drift over the streets, making sure the village was still quiet, and waited for someone to tell him his shift was over. He was expecting a jounin or one of the supervisors, so when Tsunade came striding towards him, Lee was rather surprised. The blond smiled slightly at Lee as she approached. "How are things going?"

"Fine, Hokage-sama."

She spoke quickly, barely letting him get out even that much of an answer. "And how have things been with our guest from Suna?"

Lee's cheeks flushed, remembering talking with Gaara a few nights earlier. "They, uh, seem to be all right."

Tsunade seemed to grow older suddenly and began walking down a street, motioning the chunin to follow her. "Lee, I've been hearing some rumors going through the village." She paused, glancing at the boy before continuing. "You do understand that the 'Kages are figures of great respect and power in the ninja villages? A lot is expected of them, regardless of things like age or past. It's a position that requires a lot of compromise and sacrifice."

Lee's blush had deepened and he struggled to hide it from the leader of his village. "Hokage-sama, if this is about what happened the other day between me and the Kazekage-"

"That's part of it. That little scuffle has certainly sparked some rather interesting talk in the village. But regardless of what anyone may be saying, you are still a Konoha ninja while Gaara-kun has to think about what's best for his village."

"Hokage-sama, it isn't like that. I mean, I don't-"

"I had a feeling the rumors were overexagerated." She stopped walking and turned to look at the shorter boy. "I actually haven't been thinking about your side of this. After all, you have very few duties that keep you from what you want. Thank you for helping so much during the exam, Lee-kun. You aren't on duty, but you'll still be coming to the finals, won't you?"

Confused, Lee nodded and was granted a bright smile from the older woman as she turned and walked off. With a sigh, the boy looked around at where he was, surprised at how far he'd come without realizing it. He was in front of the small veterinary clinic that Inuzuka Hana ran and he frowned, moving to the door curiously. Before he could reach the handle, the door opened to reveal a haggard looking Temari. Lee jumped back, eyes wide at seeing the girl.

She blinked at him a moment before sighing. "Hello, Lee."

"Temari-san," he stuttered out. "Is something wrong?"

The girl hesitated, measuring Lee with her eyes a moment before speaking. "Kamura's sick. The doctors say it's nothing serious, probably from being a stray for so long, but Gaara refuses to leave the clinic. At this rate, Kankuro's going to have to put on the robes so no one realizes my little brother is having a breakdown."

Lee had stopped listening, darting around Temari towards the door. Inside the warmed clinic it was mostly empty; an older kunoichi with a hawk on one shoulder was leaning against one wall beside someone holding what appeared to be a pregnant skunk. Aside from them, Gaara was the only occupant, pressed into the far corner, arms crossed against his chest, frowning. Lee walked over to him quickly, "Gaara-sama?" The redhead barely twitched, but looked up to acknowledge that he'd heard. Lee licked his lips and sat beside the boy. "What do they say is wrong?"

"She was living on scraps for two months. They said the sudden change of diet has given her stomach problems." His words were clipped when he spoke, obvious tension thrumming in his voice. As Kazekage, the young man didn't carry his signature gourd, but Lee could hear sand shifting angrily all around them.

Lee smiled bracingly. "If that's all it is, she should be fine. Hana-san is a wonderful doctor, she'll know what to do."

"I'm not leaving," the redhead bit out suddenly.

Lee hesitated again, not quite sure what to do. "You can't stay here."

"I'm not leaving," was the vehement reply.

Lee leaned closer to the boy, no longer caring if it looked unprofessional. "Gaara-kun, she'll be all right. The final matches are going to be starting soon, you need to be there." Gaara just scowled darkly, still not looking at the other. "You represent your village, Gaara, you can't not go!"

"Kankuro can handle it, he's done it before."

"But Gaara-" Lee stopped abruptly, recognizing that this wasn't going to get him anywhere. "I'll stay here for you."

It took several moments for Gaara to respond. Slowly he looked up at the serious chunin, his scowl all but gone. "Why would you do that?"

"It's a compromise," Lee said quickly, Tsunade's words coming back to him. "You have to sacrifice all sorts of stuff for your village, you should at least have someone you can trust watching out for Kamura, right?"

It took another few moments for Gaara to speak. "You shouldn't have to sacrifice the exam. I know you must want to watch it yourself."

Lee just smiled, standing and pulling Gaara to his feet. "If you promise to tell me about it, I promise to tell you as soon as she's better, all right?"

Gaara looked slightly stunned as he was pushed towards the door of the clinic. Lee opened it, shoving the Kazekage out into the cold and smiling at him. Gaara looked back and nodded slightly as Lee pulled the door closed once more. He went back to the corner and sat, firmly ignoring the other two ninja whispering eagerly between themselves.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The sun was setting when Lee finally headed back towards the arena, small ball of fluff cradled in his arms. As he neared the gate, Genma saw him and cocked an eyebrow. "Where have you been?"

Lee just smiled at the jounin. "Are the matches over yet?"

Genma cocked his head, listening to the sounds of the crowd much as Lee had been doing when he was on guard duty earlier. "Last round's still going on, a girl from Suna and one of Kurenai's boys. If you hurry you might be able to see some of it."

Lee nodded and rushed through the gate, quickly climbing the stairs to the dignitary's observation box. Approaching the door, Lee slowed again, knowing there would be guards here as well. An ANBU stepped from the shadows, making a miniscule hand gesture that told Lee there was at least one more guard hiding near enough to strike if needed. Silently, the guard stared at Lee through his blank mask and pointed back down the hall towards the regular seating. Lee nodded, "I know, but I promised the Kazekage I'd see him immediately."

The guard dropped his arm, but didn't move. Lee could feel the man's eyes combing up and down his body, lingering on the sleeping cat for several moments. After a minute he raised his hand again, pointing back down the hall. Lee fought off the urge to groan at the stubborn attitude. "I need to see the Kazekage! You can escort me if you want, but I need to see him." After the matches finished, the gathered 'Kages and other coordinators would seal themselves away to make their final judgments on the students testing. Lee had barely gotten here before that, he didn't want Gaara to have to suffer through the meeting without knowing his baby was all right.

The ANBU settled back on his hip and started to cross his arms, but paused suddenly, turning to look over his shoulder. Kankuro was stalking towards them, scowling behind his pink scarf. "What is all the racket?" he demanded, waving one pink hand at the guard – Lee had brought him matching gloves when he'd delivered the extra winter gear for the failed team. "Get outta the way, of course Lee's allowed up here. What, you think he's going to talk one of us to death?"

Lee might have imagined it, but he thought the ANBU was moping as he stepped aside. Kankuro turned on his heal, trusting Lee to match his stride as he went back into the open air. The puppeteer didn't look at the other boy as he spoke. "I owe you," he muttered quietly. "I hate wearing those damn robes, but I'd've done it for Gaara. It really means a lot that you were willing to help out like this."

Stepping into the observation box, Lee was lead straight towards the Kazekage's chair and Gaara turned slightly as he drew near. The redhead's eyes widened and he started to stand, but Lee quickly shook his head, looking back at the fight going on. After a hesitation, Gaara settled again and turned to watch the fight's conclusion.

The girl from Suna was a puppeteer, Lee noticed, watching as two slightly-smaller-than-life-size puppets danced around the two fighters. Her opponent was only a couple of years younger than Lee and had that extra experience on his side as he darted around the girl's attacks. His fingers flashed through seals and the young kunoichi had to retreat briefly as a fire jutsu caught one of her puppets, the flames dancing up her chakra strings towards her. Lee's eyes widened as the tongues of fire licked at her hand and she stumbled. The other boy quickly darted in, seeing his opportunity.

There was an eruption from the crowd as they saw the boy's mistake before he did. The undamaged puppet closed in from behind and he had to abandon his attack, practically dismembering the thing in a flurry of kunai. He spun back to his living opponent, but fell almost at once, her chakra strings tangled around his legs. The girl's burnt hand was pulling the trap expertly tighter while she quickly pulled out a small, decorative tanto to hold her prisoner at bay. There a hesitation and then the boy lowered his eyes, conceding the fight. Behind Lee, Kankuro cheered loudly as the referee moved forward to make sure neither child was badly hurt.

As soon as the victory was made official, Gaara was on his feet in front of Lee. The chunin fished into his pouch and pulled out a small bottle of medicine. "Hana-san said to give her this twice a day for a week, and you need to get some cat's milk for her to drink; cow's milk is bad for kittens. She said the Hyugas had a supply."

Gaara leaned forward suddenly, wrapping his arms around Lee's broad shoulders. "Thank you," he whispered, holding on tightly for a minute. When he pulled back, he cradled Kamura in his own arms, staring at the kitten.

Lee smiled slightly, blushing again. "She was sedated, so she'll be asleep the rest of the day." He reached out, taking the tiny thing back. "And you have business to attend to, don't you?" Over Gaara's shoulder, Tsunade was smiling softly and she nodded at Lee appreciatively.

Gaara's scowl had returned, but he nodded as well. "Stay with Temari until I can get back, all right?"

Lee nodded immediately, looking around for the blonde woman. She stood back against one wall with Kankuro, waiting in silence as the officials filed out of the box. With a last smile towards the Kazekage, Lee moved to join the two siblings. As the arena cleared, the three leapt to the rooftops, heading back towards the inn quickly. Once there, Lee was led to the siblings' suite and Temari shuffled to the kitchen area. "What do you want to eat, Lee?"

The teen raised his eyebrows, surprised to be asked. "Um, anything is all right with me."

Kankuro reached out, taking the tiny kitten gently. It twisted and yawned, but just curled up in his hands and went right back to sleep. "She's really cute." Lee nodded, distracted as the smell of cooking meat quickly began to fill the room. "Just like our little brother, don't you think?"

Temari chuckled. "Yeah, I can see it. This little guy's been found and taken care of. She's got someone to love her now, lucky just like him."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Lee stretched and yawned, sitting up slowly. That small movement startled him as he suddenly realized he wasn't in his apartment; he'd fallen asleep at the inn. Looking around he saw Temari and Kankuro dead asleep, both under large piles of blankets. He could see Gaara's assistants asleep in the adjoining room, one of them snoring rather loudly. Embarrassed, Lee climbed out from under the blankets and crept towards the door. It was past midnight; he'd fallen asleep waiting for Gaara to return, but the redhead still wasn't in the room.

Carefully, Lee stole down the hallway of the inn. He slid open the window and used the ledge to boost himself up to the rooftop. Once there he gasped, stumbling as he quickly aborted his leap to the next roof. Gaara was crouched near the edge of the roof, gazing out over the white-washed village. It had snowed again, Lee noticed. Quickly he dropped down again and ran back to the suite. He gathered one of the blankets he'd woken under and flew back to the rooftop.

Gaara was looking at him as Lee appeared the second time. "You woke up," he noted quietly. Lee moved over to the boy's side, draping the blanket over his shoulders and sitting down quietly. The black scarf Gaara had taken was piled on the roof in a small area cleared of snow; Kamura was sound asleep on top of it. Gaara smiled slightly, reaching out to stroke the tiny creature. "Thank you again, Lee."

Lee's own smile was small and he could feel his cheeks heat again. "I'm glad I was able to help." The redhead looked so young, so small against the cold winter backdrop. And he really was quite handsome when he smiled. Slowly Lee reached out, tipping the other's chin up briefly to fully appreciate the view.

Sadly, Gaara's smile faded, a muted look of surprise crossing through his eyes. Then he blinked and the smile returned. "No one's ever touched me so casually before. Even Kankuro and Temari avoid it most of the time."

Lee leaned forward on impulse, this time savoring the younger boy's surprise as he pressed their lips together briefly. He pulled away almost at once, watching the dark ringed eyes for his reaction. He wasn't able to read anything as Gaara's eyes slipped closed and he followed Lee's movement, pressing their lips together again.

Gaara pulled back immediately, his eyes turned downward. "I'm sorry. You've already been subjected to the paranoia around me." There was a moment of silence and Lee could practically hear the boy's next words of rejection.

Lee reached out, wrapping one hand around Gaara's wrist. "I'm used to it."

"No, you don't understand what you're getting involved in."

"And I don't care. I know who you are and," Lee swallowed thickly. He could feel his cheeks burning, but all of this felt right, he'd known this was right since he'd seen Gaara in the clinic that afternoon. "And I'm not going to let narrow minded people limit my options."

"Lee," Gaara was looking at him strangely; Lee couldn't decipher the muted emotion. Kamura woke up with a stretch and a yawn. The kitten padded up onto Lee's lap and nuzzled her head against his stomach before curling into his lap and dropping into sleep again. The chunin stroked her once and rested his hand around the little thing in a loose embrace. Suddenly Gaara shifted, bringing his blanket up and over Lee's shoulders as well. "She's adopted you."

Lee smiled, trying to stifle a yawn. He was still blushing as he leaned carefully against Gaara's shoulder. The redhead kept his arm where it was, loosely wrapped around the other's back and, with another yawn, Lee dropped his head onto the other's shoulder.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The chunin exams were over, all the foreign shinobi in Konoha had left. Lee still heard people mutter about his fling with the Kazekage when he passed by, even though it had been two weeks. He still blushed whenever he heard those hushed voices or when conversation abruptly dropped off when he approached. It was nothing but speculation, of course, no one knew what had actually gone on between the two. A few kisses, a night spent on the roof, and a bond that would last a very long time. The people in Konoha didn't know anything for certain and often made up extravagant stories that had Lee going much further than he was sure he was ready to.

Sometimes he wished he could try, though.

He shook off those thoughts, marching with importance into the central building. The Hokage had called specifically for him and Lee wasn't going to keep the woman waiting. As he reached the entrance, two ninja he didn't recognize came out, smiling and talking between themselves. One dropped to his knees without warning, scooping up large handfuls of melting snow. "I've missed this so much!" He cried, tossing the white stuff into the air.

The other had her head raised in the crisp air, smiling at the trees in the distance. "Finally back home where there's some bloody color!"

Lee scooted around the two, wondering what they were going on about, and rushed to the Hokage's office. When he entered, Tsunade looked up and smiled widely. "Lee, you're here." Already seated in front of the desk was Shikamaru and he nodded to the green-clad boy in greeting before the Hokage continued. "I have a new mission I think you may be interested in. Long term."

Lee brightened immediately. "Of course! I'd be happy to help any way I can!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes slightly, looking very bored with it all. Tsunade nodded. "We have recently decided to retire our diplomatic envoys in Suna. They've been complaining about the desert for a while now anyway. You won't have as much fieldwork if you take this position, but you will be expected to take missions from both villages on a fairly regular basis still. You'll also have the chance to acclimate to Suna's culture, gathering information and sharing intelligence with our allies. Think of it as a cultural exchange."

The woman paused, letting Lee consider the offer. Slowly the boy nodded; it was a good position with a level of job security that didn't come with constant dangerous missions. He smiled, "I would be honored to represent Konoha!"

Tsunade smiled again and stood. "Excellent. You've been asked to wear this." She quickly grabbed Lee's wrist, tying a ribbon and tag to it before he could protest.

The chunin twisted his arm around, staring curiously at the small tag. "Happy Birthday?" he read aloud, not understanding why it had been attached to him.

Beside him, Shikamaru snorted and tried to hide a smile, before he turned quickly, rising to his feet and heading for the door. "Come on, or we'll miss our transport. I don't want to walk and it'll take three times as long on foot."

The two boys arrived in Suna the next day and were greeted by a brightly smiling Kankuro. "You both came, great!" He snatched at Lee's wrist, checking the ribbon that was still tied there.

When he was released, Lee frowned at the other boy. "Do I get to know what this is, now? My birthday is in November."

"Yes," Kankuro replied as he led them through dusty streets. "But Gaara's is the day after tomorrow. He's turning seventeen"

Lee paused in his steps, startled by the information. Then, very suddenly, his mind filled with a whole host of thoughts and ideas that that fact triggered. He'd been given the chance to refuse this assignment and hadn't been told about this apparent plan; that led him to believe that he was here at least partly on merit. But . . . he was a present for Gaara?

"Does Temari know I'm here yet?" Shikamaru asked quietly.

Suddenly there was a happy gasp and the sound of someone running towards them. Kankuro laughed and stepped out of the way. "I think that's a yes," he said as Temari attached herself to Shikamaru tightly.

Then the girl pulled back and smacked him on the head. "That's for not writing back!"

Kankuro put a hand on Lee's shoulder to guide him away, leaving the two to squabble. "Gaara doesn't know you're here, either," he warned, reaching the center of town and a large house. "I doubt he'll be as enthusiastic, but you should be careful just in case, all right?"

Lee nodded and was shown into a fairly simple room before the other disappeared. Off to one side was a small cat bed and a collection of stuffed toys. After a moment, there was a soft mew and a beautiful silver kitten stood and trotted towards Lee. Lee bent to rub her head and smiled, recognizing the slightly darker M in the pattern of her forehead. "You remember me, little one?" The cat gave another pleased mew and then retreated to attack one of the toys.

It wasn't long before the door opened and Lee smiled at the startled redhead that entered. "Lee?" He asked after a moment. "What are you doing here?"

The chunin raised his hand briefly, letting Gaara's eyes focus on the ribbon, and then stepped closer to him. "Happy birthday," he muttered before pressing their lips together. Gaara moaned slightly, wrapping his arms around the other on instinct. After a small eternity, Lee pulled away, still smiling, and went to sit on the small bed in the room. "I think I'm your present from your brother. Would you like your present from me now?" His cheeks felt like they were on fire, but he managed to say it without stumbling over the words.

Gaara still looked stunned. For a long moment he stood in the doorway, frozen. Then, slowly, he closed the door and began to undo the clasps of his coat. "Lee, are you sure about this?"

"No," the chunin answered honestly. "I'm sure that in the last two weeks, though, all I've thought about is you." Especially over the last day, once he'd found out he would be going to Suna. It was startling to realize how much he had missed the younger teen.

(A/N: insert love scene here)

The two of them lay still for several moments before Lee finally shifted, not wanting to fall asleep in such an awkward position. Gaara seemed to understand and agree as Lee took hold of his shoulders and maneuvered them both to lay properly on the bed.

Gaara reached out, his fingers locking with Lee's tightly. "How long are you staying?" he asked softly. The gesture was obvious: possession, an almost desperate want to never let go.

Lee smiled and lifted his free hand, gently brushing his fingers over the symbol on his lover's forehead. "I'm not sure. How long do diplomatic envoys usually stay?"

The redhead turned towards him, his eyes slightly wide again. "You're the new envoy?" He was obviously pleased, but there was some doubt in his voice. "Won't this compromise the position, Konoha's standing here in Suna?"

Lee couldn't help laughing a little. "The other envoy is Shikamaru."

Gaara's eyes stayed wide for a moment before he started laughing, too. "Sometimes I think your 'Kage is insane."

There was a sudden weight on the end of the bed and in seconds Kamura trotted up between the two. She mewled and nipped at Lee's shoulder before settling between their heads on the pillow. Lee was still laughing slightly and shifted to pet the little kitten this time. "If anything, I'd say this will strengthen our alliance. Besides, I have no family in Konoha, besides Gai-sensei. It's kind of nice to be adopted." Gaara shifted, pressing his lips first to the animal between them and then to Lee's cheek before laying back down. Lee smiled, squeezing the boy's hand. "And yes, I think Tsunade-sama is definitely insane."

-o-o-o-OWARI-o-o-o-

**A / N: **A version of this will be posted on my Livejournal with the lemon included in this end section if you'd like to read it.

**A / N 2:** This is a piece of an IM conversation I had with a friend of mine. He had just read this (it was originally a gift fic for him) and, well, you head it so this should make sense to you all . . . as much as it makes sense to anyone at least.

Me: FUZZIES

Him: FUZZIES! 3

Him: isn't telling the wife what 'fuzzies' are

Him: ...she just made a reference to my GROIN.

Me: LOL

Me: well, i suppose . . .

Me: GAH - that made my brain attack me with images of Kankuro going to Lee for that kind of Fuzzies

Him: LMAO!

Him: "LEE, GIVE ME YOUR FUZZIES!!!!"  
"...k-kankuro...please get your hand out of my pants...please, if you know what's good for yo--"  
"..."  
"C-can't b-b-re-breathe--gasp"  
"GAARA, PUT YOUR BROTHER DOWN!"

Me: Can't...breathe...laughing...too hard...

Me: Great, now I can't read that line without giggling LOL

Him: XDDDD


End file.
